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Gwangju residents demand full disclosure on groundwater contamination results

Published: 06 Aug. 2025, 21:30

A page from Gwangju's Buk District's report on groundwater contamination from the Bonchon Industrial Complex [YONHAP]

GWANGJU — Residents are expressing growing concern after Gwangju’s Buk District released groundwater test results from around the controversial Bonchon Industrial Complex, revealing data for only two carcinogenic substances while withholding information on the remaining test items.

Groundwater samples were collected from 13 sites inside and around the Bonchon Industrial Complex and tested by a private firm, according to Buk District officials on Wednesday. The results showed that trichloroethylene (TCE) and tetrachloroethylene (PCE), both classified as Group 1 carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, were either not detected or were found to be within safe limits.

TCE and PCE are commonly used in industrial solvents, adhesives and pesticides.

However, the district did not disclose results for the remaining 18 items included in the water quality assessment, despite the list including potentially hazardous substances such as lead, mercury and arsenic. This lack of transparency has sparked anxiety among residents.

“All harmful substance data must be made public, along with a clear statement on the safety of the water,” said Kim Jong-pil, secretary-general of the Gwangju chapter of the Korea Federation for Environmental Movements. “Silence from the authorities only fuels public fear.”

Officials and environment officers from the Gwangju city government inspect a site related to groundwater contamination in Gwangju on July 17. [YONHAP]

“The data pertains to private properties, so disclosure requires consent from the property owners,” said a Buk District official. “We are still reviewing whether to release the rest of the data. The 13 test sites were different from the previously contaminated locations, and the latest testing was conducted to check for a potential spread of pollutants.”

Controversy erupted after it was belatedly revealed that groundwater in the Bonchon Industrial Complex had been contaminated for years. Suspected sources of the contaminants include the former factory of Rocket Battery and the Honam Sash site, where harmful substances used during the 1980s and 1990s — before relevant regulations were enacted — are believed to have seeped into the groundwater.

Meanwhile, in Gwangju’s Gwangsan District, additional traces of TCE were recently detected in groundwater at the Hanam Industrial Complex, where the carcinogen was first found two years ago. Of the 15 sites tested in the area, two were deemed unsafe.

Civic groups hold a rally in front of the Gwangsan District Office in Gwangju calling for thorough response to groundwater contamination on July 16. [YONHAP]

Gwangsan District faced criticism in 2023 for failing to act after a commissioned study found TCE and PCE levels in the Hanam Industrial Complex far above regulatory thresholds. In response to growing concerns, officials began phased testing of 245 active groundwater wells in the area.

So far, 135 wells have been tested, and 13 were found to be in violation of water quality standards. The district issued improvement orders for those sites.

“For facilities that fail to improve within 30 days, we will take additional measures — including compulsory well closures — in accordance with the Groundwater Act,” said a Gwangsan District official.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY HWANG HEE-GYU [[email protected]]